meet John

Meet John.  We don't know much about John other than he was a child living on the streets of Lusaka.    John represents the face of countless thousands of children living with out care and nurture in Zambia. 

On Saturday the Streetwise Outreach team was out hanging out with the kids and saw John.  Long story short.. in the course of their time on the outreach that day John died.  He was there talking with the team and his friends and then he simply sat down and died.  No warning, no fan fare....one minute he was there, the next he was gone.  

MANY thoughts and emotions have run through my mind since Saturday regarding this.   As you can imagine it is difficult to find the words to express how heart sick this makes all of us.   The senselessness of it...the brutality of it....it makes my head spin.   

Tim, the outreach leader, reported to us that while it is heartbreaking and sad and just awful beyond words,  he was glad for the reminder about WHY Streetwise exists.  Tim and the team have jumped into action to comfort the kids and simply be there with whatever is needed.  They are loving the kids where they are....in their pain...showing them the dignity and kindness they deserve while the kids  mourn the loss of their brother and friend.  

The work that is being done through Streetwise is beautiful, painful, gritty, raw, real and amazing all at the same time.    It is heart breaking.  It is satisfying.  It sometimes makes me want to run and hide and pretend that I didn't know the stories that I do, and it humbles me to the core that we have been allowed to be a part of something so treasured and special.  

Can you do me a favor?  Please share this story with your friends!  Please help spread the news about the homeless kids in Lusaka.  The more exposure the issue gets the more help that comes and that means that John's death will mean something!